$Header: /fridge/cvs/xscorch/doc/NOTES,v 1.4 2001/05/02 19:42:48 justins Exp $


NOTES file for XScorch.  
Copyright(c) 2000 Justin David Smith
Copyright(c) 2000 Jacob Luna Lundberg.


This document agrees with version 0.1.11.


!! Please read this document before reporting a bug.  This document contains
   the current known issues with the game.  In particular, if you have ideas
   on how to fix these bugs or implement some of these features, we'd like
   to hear from you: send e-mail to jacob (a) chaos2.org and 
   justins (a) chaos2.org.
   
Also refer to doc/NETWORK for network-related issues, and doc/AI for issues
relating to the computer AI's.



CONTENTS

   Immediate Attention
   Jacob's Notes on Weapons
   Features Not Yet Implemented/Known Problems



IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
   
   BUG: levitating land, see screenshot in root dir.
   
   BUG: arcs not drawn, funky bomb, when center and all 
        subexpl's are at ground zero.

   BUG: apparently tanks can levitate in the air if they
        are driven on top of another tank.

   BUG: mass kill - weapons not cleared out properly?
   
   BUG: Most accessories, can only purchase one bundle right now.
        Don't know why, but bug will probably be cleared once the
        accessories are moved to the config files.

   BUG: Tunnelling leaves a lot to be desired.  It produces ah...
        amusing effects.

   Balance: Economics unfair, shield strength (Mattias Eriksson)

   Network: Packet ordering, retransmission!

   
   
JACOB'S NOTES ON WEAPONS, ETC. (unchanged since 0.1.11)

   !! Read this before you report a weapons bug.
   !! Issues listed below are definitely on the board for forthcoming releases.

   Notes on XScorch development from Jacob's perspective (largely weapons)
   Jacob Luna Lundberg <jacob (a) chaos2.org>
   Last modified on 2001.05.02


   ** Things for Immediate Attention **
   These are the features and bugs I plan to work on soon.

   * Hopefulls for release soon *
   Animate napalm flames (?).
   Add an EOP to the network stream.
   Make recv_packet() test for more errors.
   Weapons Level 5 for APEX rollers, etc?
   Document the weapon info struct format.
   Give frog phoenix min and max velocity bounds.
   Make spider phoenix aware of hills in the way...
   Save files.  The structure for this is mostly in place now.

   * Long term stuff *
   Weapon creation utility.
   Check out porting to WinCrud via gtk (painful) ...
   There are in fact several things that need selectable tracking functions...
   [Now partially implemented.]
   o  blasts at tank barrel
   o  sandhogs underground
   o  rollers on surface

   * Weapon selling/trading in game *
   We both have thoughts on this and I think it will happen.  Stay tuned...
   o  To do this we will need `unique' weapons, i.e. eliminate the idea of a `mass
      market' with a surplus of weaponry.  Might be easy, hard to say `tho.
   o  `fair' pricing model for custom weapons.  Can't have Bob the Destroyer
      designing a new weapon with 10000Force destructive, then making it available
      for 1$ (would be amusing, though).


   ** Weapon Explosion Animation **
   Right now the only issue here is phoenix vs. selectable tracking.

   * separate weapon explosion drawing functions *
   (marked by conventions used with weapons list below)
   + (a) circular gradient explosions ("normal" weapons)
   + (b) spread circular gradient explosions (funky bombs)
   + (c) dribbling liquid explosions (liquid dirt, napalm)
   - (d) digging (dirt eating) pseudo-explosions (diggers, sandhogs)
     (e) spraying explosions (riot charge/blast, dirt charge)


   ** The Weapon List **
   We still have a long way to go creating weapons.
   Many will need some degree of specialized detonation function.
   These specialized functions are well under way now though...

   * weapon list goal *
   Those that are fully implemented are marked at the left with a '+'.
   Those that are partially (often twistedly) implemented are marked with a '-'.
   Note that our explosive radii run about twice those of the original game.

        [Name]                [Cost] [Bundle Size] Radius-[Scorch]-[XScorch] [Arms Level]
   +    No Weapon                 $0             0        N/I          0        0
   +    Baby Missile            $400             0         10         20        0
   +    Missile               $1,875             5         20         40        0
   +    Baby Nuke            $10,000             3         40         80        0
   +    Nuke                 $12,000             1         75        150        1
   -    Leap Frog            $10,000             2   30,25,20   60,50,41        3
   +    Funky Bomb            $7,000             2         80        160        4
   +    MIRV                 $10,000             3         20         40        2
   +    Death's Head         $20,000             1         35         70        4
   +    Annihilator          $24,000             1        N/I        200        4
   +    The Chaos         $1,000,000             1        N/I        200        5
   +    Napalm               $10,000            10        N/A        N/A        2
   +    Hot Napalm           $20,000             2        N/A        N/A        4
   +    Black Rain           $30,000             2        N/I         20        4
   +    Tracer                   $10            20          0          0        0
   +    Smoke Tracer            $500            10          0          0        1
   +    Baby Roller           $5,000            10         10         20        2
   +    Roller                $6,000             5         20         40        2
   +    Heavy Roller          $6,750             2         45         90        3
        Riot Charge           $2,000            10         36         72        2
        Riot Blast            $5,000             5         60        120        3
   +    Riot Bomb             $5,000             5         30         60        3
   +    Heavy Riot Bomb       $4,750             2         45         90        3
        Baby Digger           $3,000            10        N/A        N/A        0
        Digger                $2,500             5        N/A        N/A        0
        Heavy Digger          $6,750             2        N/A        N/A        1
        Baby Sandhog         $10,000            10        N/A        N/A        0
        Sandhog              $16,750             5        N/A        N/A        0
        Heavy Sandhog        $25,000             2        N/A        N/A        1
   +    Dirt Clod             $5,000            10         20         40        0
   +    Dirt Ball             $5,000             5         35         70        0
   +    Ton of Dirt           $6,750             2         70        140        1
   +    Liquid Dirt           $5,000            10        N/A        N/A        2
        Dirt Charge           $5,000             5        N/A        N/A        1
        Earth Disrupter       $5,000            10        N/A        N/A        0
        Plasma Blast          $9,000             5      10-75     20-150        3
        Shield Sapper        $10,000             2        N/I          0        3
        Laser                 $5,000             5        N/A        N/A        2

   * potentials *
   Sticky Air (implement with object land type and tracers)
   Sticky Air Disruptor (see above)
   Tunnel Tracking (accessory >:)
   Teleporter (accessory, chosen, or random location? preference for random)
   Jump Jets (accessory, thoughts?)
   Popcorn Bomb (weapon, sounds a lot like a funky bomb, hmm)
   Dirt tower (weapon?)
   Warp Shield (accessory, no idea what this is either)
   Teleport shield (accessory, oh, this would be just _too_ fun)
     a) you're hit, you're transported.
     b) you're hit, weapon is transported >:)
   Flicker Shield (accessory, what the heck is this anyway?)
   Patriot Missles (weapon, any ideas?)
   Plasma laser (weapon, gnifty looking laser I assume)

   * special cases *
   Rollers are implemented as a new phoenix case.
   The Chaos really is mostly for testing.  But it is fun.  So who knows what the future holds...


   ** Networking **
   As you can see, the basic structure is going in.
   This is the number one most requested feature after napalm.
   If anybody out there has experience in this, we'd still love to hear from you.

   Nothing new this release, we played with weapons instead...  :)


   (end of Jacob's XScorch notes)



FEATURES NOT YET IMPLEMENTED/KNOWN PROBLEMS

   Economics:
    * Free market not implemented
    * Greedy scoring not properly implemented
   
   Interface:
    * Mouse support partially implemented

   Landscape:
    * Hostile environments not implemented
    
   Networking:
    * Development is in progress ...

   Physics:
    * Suspend dirt not implemented
    * Tanks fall not implemented

      These will probably come along soon, now that tank profiles are 
      implemented == bug with land falling on the tank can finally be
      avoided.

    * Viscosity does not currently work
      This has been removed, because the trajectory functions cannot 
      currently compensate for the viscosity of air.

    * Springy walls are not properly implemented (no damping over time!)
    
   Play options:
    * Player Teams not implemented
 
   Players: 
    * Insanity AI not implemented
    * Different tanks not implemented

      In particular, immobile tanks
  
   Sound:
    * Soundtracks are implemented but as yet have no music to play
      This causes some "file not found" warnings during gameplay
    * Sound effects are still a ways down the line

   Weapons:
    * Tunnelling not implemented
    * Useless items toggle -- even useless items are shown in inventory
